DSD Annual Report 2017/18

Today, the Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Adv. Albert Fritz, tabled the department’s annual report for the 2017/18 financial year.

The Department has obtained a clean audit for the fifth consecutive year.

Despite ever-increasing fiscal pressure, coupled with an increase in the demand for social welfare and community development services, the Department remains committed to delivering quality services to the poor and vulnerable in this province.

This report is a reflection of how the Department used its R 2.1 billion budget in 2017/18 to that end.

Notable achievements include:

• The Department concluded 97% of foster care cases, and is the only province without a material foster care backlog;

• In collaboration with the Department of Health, the subsidy for 24-hour care facilities for children with disabilities was more than doubled to R5 510 per child, per month;

• The Department registered 61 substance abuse treatment centres (funded and private) during this period: 12 inpatient centres; 2 half-way houses; 46 community-based centres and 1 outpatient facility; and

• Two more Youth Cafés opened – Velddrif and Groot Brak – bringing the total to eight.

Other performance areas include:

Child Care and Protection

• 10 580 children and families in the province received care and protection services.  Through these services, 4 055 children were placed in foster care, and 366 children were reunified with their families or caregivers; and

• 3 727 parents and caregivers completed parent education and training programmes. 

ECD and Partial Care

• 84 262 children accessed ECD and after school care services funded by the Department.

Persons with Disabilities

• 93 566 people with disabilities and their families or caregivers accessed various services.

Care and Services to Families

• 22 385 families participated in Family Preservation and support services; and

• 669 people have been reunited with their families.

Older Persons:

• A total of 26 100 vulnerable older persons made use of these services, of whom 16 494 used community-based care and support services such as service centres and clubs.

Victim Empowerment Programme:

• 21 243 people accessed victim support services funded by the Department. 

Substance Abuse:

• 11 689 clients accessed substance abuse services, of which 2 078 accessed aftercare and reintegration services.

Youth Development:

• 15 055 youth participated in training opportunities through department funded skills development programmes; and

• 4 402 youth were linked to job and other skills development opportunities.

To download the full DSD Annual Report, visit https://www.westerncape.gov.za/dept/social-development/documents/annual_reports/2018